Dragon Wings, Hogwarts Heart
by Dragonessa Smith
Summary: Hermione and Charlie overcome attacks, sneaking around, and Mrs. Weasley to be together. *Complete*
1. Quidditch Kisses and Sleepless Nights

Dragon Wings, Hogwarts Heart  
  
A Charlie~Hermione Story  
  
(Re-edited July 15, 2003)  
  
~!*!~  
  
August 19, 2006   
  
  
  
  
  
He couldn't sleep.   
  
Charlie lay awake, staring at the canvas roof of his tent. The gentle rain that had fallen that morning had increased to a downpour, dropping buckets on the shabby Muggle tent his expedition had bought.   
  
Ten days to go, he thought to himself. Ten more days in soggy, wet, stinking Romania. Ten more days before I'm back home...with her.   
  
He shook his head. Stop it, he reprimanded himself. Look at yourself. You're pathetic. Mooning over a girl who started at Hogwarts a year after you graduated. Cradle-robber.   
  
Still, he couldn't help it when his thoughts once again returned to her. Her brown hair, the way she laughed, the way she smiled. Even the way her front teeth were a bit crooked...well, until she fixed them. Even the way she sometimes bossed Ron and Harry around. He loved all of her. He loved her-   
  
Stop it! He commanded himself again. It was one kiss at the World Cup, after Ireland won. She was caught up in the moment. She probably hasn't given it a second thought.   
  
  
  
  
  
She couldn't sleep.   
  
Hermione lay awake, looking through her old spell books.   
  
I can't believe I thought this spell was hard, she thought, making iridescent blue bubbles float out the tip of her wand. She sat staring at the bubbles for a second, then, glancing to make sure her bedroom door was shut and locked and her window shades were drawn, she muttered "Rojolee."   
  
The blue bubbles turned into heart shaped bubbles, in varying shades of red and pink.   
  
She sighed. How did this happen? She thought. One minute I'm perfectly fine, totally sane, the next, I'm obsessed with Ron's older brother, who's seven years older than me.   
  
But she did know. She remembered exactly what happened, exactly like Charlie did.   
  
  
  
  
  
~!*!~  
  
Quidditch World Cup, 2001   
  
  
  
  
  
"Wow, dad, did you see that?" Charlie asked excitedly.   
  
"Amazing Wronski Feint." Mr. Weasly cheered.   
  
He felt like a eleven year old again, watching his first Quidditch game all over again. Bill was even sitting next to him now, like he had at the Australia versus Zimbabwe match. But this time, on his other side, there wasn't a rather plump witch who's handbag kept snapping at him.  
  
This time it was Hermione Granger, his youngest brother Ron's rather attractive friend. Ron and Harry were on her other side, and spread out from there were his other brothers, Fred, George, and Percy, his sister Ginny, and his father, sitting at the far end of the row.   
  
Ron's got good taste. He caught himself before he could think anything else. In friends. Ron's got good taste in friends. Still, he couldn't help glancing over at her every few minutes.   
  
"IRELAND WINS!" Ludo Bagman shouted from somewhere behind him.   
  
"WHAT?" Charlie yelped. He hadn't been paying much attention to the game, to tell the truth. He had...other things on his mind.   
  
The stadium exploded with cheers.   
  
Charlie jumped up and pumped his fists into the air. "Woo-hoo!" He shouted.   
  
Hermione had jumped up at the announcement also.   
  
"Yes!" She cried. She turned to Charlie.   
  
He held out his arms to her, expecting a hug. Instead, she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, and they kissed.   
  
Not one of those soulful, gaze-into-your-eyes-while-holding-hands kisses that you'd want your first kiss to be. Instead, it was a bit longer than a quick, yeah-we-won kiss, but shorter than a girlfriend-boyfriend kiss.   
  
They stood like that for a second or two, and then Hermione jumped down suddenly. Charlie noticed she was blushing rather heavily. She immediately turned and started talking about how brave Viktor Krum was with Harry and Ron, and did not look at Charlie for the rest of the day.   
  
  
  
  
  
~!*!~   
  
August 19, 2006   
  
  
  
  
  
Charlie smiled. Ten more days, he thought again. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they see me at Hogwarts. And I'll get to see Hermione every-no, no I'm not going to even think of all the possibilities...Ok, ok, think about something else. Lets see, um, the term starts September 1st, I'll get there August 29th, that'll give me two days or three, depending on if August has thirty or thirty-one days. Then I get on the Hogwarts Express with Ron and Harry and Ginny and Hermione...STOP IT! You get on, find Ginny, and avoid Harry, Ron, and Hermione's compartment. Got it?   
  
He rolled over and tried to sleep, but Hermione kept popping into his head. Her spending the summer at his house, her talking and giggling with Ginny late into the night, her in her fourth year, especially, when he had been at Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament, and had seen her, from a distance, since he had offered to help out a bit in the library after the first task was over and done with, setting up the card catalog, stay a few more days.   
  
He had seen Harry and Hermione working on the first task. Dragons. He knew a simple spell that would have worked. Roosevelum. It would make a small teddy bear appear. For some reason, most dragon's would go for the bear and rip it to shreds. They would have completely ignored Harry and the other champions.   
  
He also saw Viktor Krum ask her to the Yule Ball. He made a face in disgust. He had spent the night of the Yule Ball supervising the return of the dragons, but he had quietly taken Krum aside that morning and politely told him that if he so much as put one hand on Hermione where he shouldn't, Charlie would personally feed him to the Hungarian Horntail, which Hagrid had named Howie.   
  
You're hopeless.  
  
He sighed, and rolled over.  
  
His clock read 1:07.  
  
Nine more days... 


	2. Dreaming of You

A/N: Charlie and Hermione are having sort of inner struggles, so if it seems like they're talking to themselves, just remember that they're thinking, not actually saying the stuff. Thanks to Gryffindor for being the first person to review. YOU RULE!  
  
  
  
  
  
~!*!~  
  
August 29, 2006  
  
  
  
  
  
"All off! Last stop! Let's go son, time to get off."  
  
"What?" Charlie opened his eyes and groaned inwardly. He had fallen asleep on the train ride home, and had been having a very pleasant dream about Hermione.  
  
Oh well, he thought, at least I'll get to see her in person now...though I doubt she'll do what she did in my dream. He smiled, thinking about it.  
  
"Ow!" He had been so busy thinking about Hermione, he missed a step and fell flat on his face.  
  
"Charlie!" He looked up. Oh great, it would be her who spots me right after I take a nose dive off the train.  
  
"Her-Hermione!" He stood up and looked for his trunk. It had opened somehow, and spilt most of his belongings alongside the train.  
  
"Oh no!" Hermione had appeared alongside him suddenly. Charlie thought he was imagining it, but she seemed to be standing a tad closer than she usually did. "You guys, come help. His trunk broke open."  
  
She bent and began to pick up things. Charlie couldn't help but admire his view of her for a few seconds.  
  
Ok, I said to cut it out, you are never going to get with her, Ron would kill you, Harry would, Ginny would, mum and dad, her mum and dad, probably everybody would kill you if you did.  
  
You know what? Charlie thought angrily. Shut up.  
  
He knelt beside her and reached for the same sock. He laid his hand on top of hers. She looked up at him, and he smiled.  
  
"Thank's for helping." He said.  
  
She blushed. "No problem."  
  
"Oy, Chuck! You blockhead!" Fred and George said at the same time. Charlie looked at Hermione for an explanation.  
  
"I'm sorry, I brought them a book of Peanuts comic strips." Hermione explained.  
  
Charlie laughed. "I always thought Percy sounded more like Lucy, but pulling the football away does sound like something they'd do."  
  
"You read Peanuts?" She asked, surprised. "I didn't think I'd ever find anyone who wasn't a Muggle who'd heard of them."  
  
"Well, I've been all over, you know, dragons and stuff, and well, I picked up a copy of the Oakland Tribune when I was out in California. You know, in the states. You wouldn't believe how many different kinds of comics there are. Well, I became addicted to Peanuts. The comic strip, you know, not like, actual peanuts." Hey Charlie, he thought. You know, you sound like such a big nerd right now, right?  
  
  
  
  
  
Hermione realized her hand was still under his. She pulled it away quickly and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.  
  
"Here's your sock."  
  
"Thanks." He smiled and raised his eyebrows. He looks so cute when he does that, Hermione thought to herself. Then she mentally slapped herself. Stop it! Seven years, remember that? He thinks of you like a sister, if he even thinks of you at all. He probably doesn't even remember that one kiss at the World Cup three years ago.  
  
Still, she kept thinking about how he had sounded like he was sort of stammering as he told her about his obsession with Peanuts. She had never heard him, or anyone for that matter, use the phrase "you know" that much before.  
  
You're trying to rationalize this silly little crush, you know that, don't you?  
  
Hermione sighed. I really don't think hearing voices in my head is a good thing right now.  
  
Much too soon, the rest of the Weasly's, except for Mr. Weasly, and Harry swarmed around them, picking up everything.  
  
"So, are you going to tell us why you're hear now?" Mrs. Weasly asked.  
  
"And why Bill and I had to take time off work." Percy sniveled slightly.  
  
"Hey, me and George had to take time off work too." Fred asserted, slightly defensive.  
  
"I would hardly call inventing pranks 'work'" Percy definitely sniveled that time.  
  
"Work is defined as an amount of force applied over a period of time." She found herself saying automatically. "So if you're moving something over any distance for any amount of time, you're doing work."  
  
As usual, everyone stared at her after her mini-speech. And as usual, everyone started normal conversations after a few seconds. Except Charlie.  
  
Even as the rest of his family were bombarding him with questions, he was still looking at her, smiling. She felt a blush rising in her cheeks and immediately turned towards Ginny.  
  
"Yeah, why are you here again?" Bill asked.  
  
"Huh?" Charlie said.  
  
"Why. Are. You. Here?" Bill pronounced every word as a single sentence. Charlie swung good-naturedly at him. Bill ducked and grabbed him around the waist, lifting him a few inches off the ground.  
  
"Listen you big bad dragon dude, you may be a big shot now, but you're still my little brother." He laughed as Charlie turned pink around the ears.  
  
"Charlie was quoted in Dragon Wings."  
  
"What?" Hermione asked. She had been distracted, watching Charlie and Bill tickle each other right on the platform. As she was an only child, she had no idea what it would have been like having someone to be that close to, and she was thinking about it would have been like.  
  
"Dragon Wings ." Ron repeated. "Not the book about the Chinese imigrant who wanted to build a plane or something, but the book about dragons. He was quoted five times, and they had an interview with him in the chapter 'Dragon Breeding: Not Your Normal Eggs.'" Ron grimaced. "Somehow they managed to turn a pretty interesting guy talking about pretty interesting animals into someone who sounds like Prof. Binns lecturing us on Goblin Rebellions."  
  
Hermione turned to ask Charlie about it, but now he and Bill were flat-out wrestling on the platform. They were starting to attract a crowd when Mrs. Weasly stepped in.  
  
"All right, enough is enough." She pulled Bill and Charlie up by their shirt collars and started dragging them towards the exit. Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Hermione, Percy, and Ginny were trying to carry Charlie's trunk.  
  
Why is this so heavy if he can only stay for two or three days before the term starts again? Hermione wondered silently. 


	3. Announcments

A/N: I'm just guessing that the teachers would have compartments to themselves. I mean, they probably don't stay at Hogwarts over the summer, so they would ride the Hogwarts Express, right? P.S: Special Thanks to Karina for helping me learn how to upload! Read her story, Dragon Dance, it's great! That story actually inspired mine. (And sorry I'm rambling.)   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~!*!~  
  
August 29, 2006   
  
  
  
  
  
"So, why are you here?"  
  
"Wait til everyone sits down; it's a pretty big announcement."  
  
"FRED! GEORGE! Get down here now! I want to know what's going on!" Percy yelled from the foot of the stairs. Loud thumps down the stairs announced their arrival, and everyone sat around the table in the kitchen of the Burrow.  
  
"So?" Mr. Weasly asked again.  
  
"Well," Charlie began. "I'm not sure how to put this, but remember how Crouch quit the Defense Against The Dark Arts position after Malfoy 'accidentally' set him on fire?'"  
  
"Still don't know why he even agreed to take on the class anyway." Percy mumbled.  
  
"Anyway, Dumbledore asked me to take on the position of the Care Of Magical Creatures class, so Hagrid could teach Defense Against The Dark Arts."  
  
"What?!?" Everyone asked.  
  
Charlie nodded. "I know. Dumbledore said that this year's class would be learning to protect themselves against dark creatures, you know, vampires and werewolves-untamed werewolves, Ron, not like Prof. Lupin. And, well, Dumbledore felt that Hagrid wouldn't be able to keep up with two classes AND his grounds keeping duties. So I'm going to be your teacher this year, you guys." He grinned as Ginny, Ron, and Harry stared at him with mixtures of shock and horror on their faces.  
  
He looked at Hermione. She seemed to be lost in thought.  
  
"Hermione, what do you think. Hermione?" Fred waved his hand in front of her face. She blinked and looked up.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Oh, well, um, I think, well, it will be a very interesting year, you know?"   
  
Hermione internally cringed as she heard herself use the phrase Charlie had when she thought he was stammering. Oh, well, um, I think, you know? She chided herself. Why don't you just paint your toenails pink and subscribe to Air-Heads Weekly? She dared to glance over at Charlie once more, and to her surprise, he was smiling at her, probably remembering their earlier conversation.  
  
"Yes, I know," George smiled evilly. "I wasn't sure you knew, you know?"  
  
"Yes, you know I know you know." Fred jumped in.  
  
"You know, I think we're embarrassing her."  
  
"You think?"  
  
"I know."  
  
"Ok, will someone help me get my trunk upstairs?" Charlie asked, switching the subject quickly. Hermione threw him a grateful smile, which was returned twice as big.  
  
  
  
  
  
~!*!~  
  
September 1, 2006  
  
  
  
  
  
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, if I were Ginny, where would I go? Charlie opened another compartment door.  
  
"Draco?" Two big, ugly, stupid faces stared blankly back at him.  
  
Wrong one. Charlie shut the door quickly. He stepped back and looked at the rest of the compartments.  
  
Usually the teachers had two compartments up in the front of the car to themselves, but Charlie couldn't bring himself to go up there just yet. It would be too...too...he struggled to find the right word. Icky wasn't strong enough. Awkward, he decided. There were too many of the same teachers he used to have.  
  
Charlie turned his thoughts back to finding Ginny. He doubted his sister would be in one of the compartments next to Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle, so he skipped down one and opened the next door.  
  
"EEEK!" Charlie knew, just from looking at Ron's Hogwarts yearbook, that these two had to be Parvati and Lavender. Their faces looked like they were covered with purple spots, which Charlie was pretty sure were Madame Blount's patented, pimple-reducing, jelly bandages.  
  
"Ron! Get out of here!" Parvati screeched.  
  
"Sorry, sorry, sorry." Charlie felt his face go red, and he started to back out of the room when he heard another voice that sounded exactly the same as hers, only different somehow.  
  
"That can't be Ron, he's apologizing."  
  
"Padma, I presume?" Charlie stuck his head back in the room.  
  
"Who are you?" Padma asked, looking slightly annoyed and sounding even more annoyed.  
  
"Charlie Weasly, Ron's second oldest brother, and the new Care Of Magical Creatures teacher. By the way," He said, as he backed out the door again, trying not to laugh at the looks on the three girls faces. "Ron's told me so much about you three."  
  
Eventually, he found Ginny's compartment, but to his equal dismay and excitement, she was sitting with Ron, Harry, and Hermione.  
  
"Er, hi everybody."  
  
"Hi Charlie." Ginny said. She seemed to be in especially good spirits, and Charlie felt he could guess why. She was sitting next to Harry. Ron, ever the protective older brother, even concerning his best friend, was sitting on her other side, leaving the only available seat next to...  
  
"Hermione." Charlie smiled nervously, hoping that he wouldn't do anything stupid. "Mind if I sit next to you?"  
  
"Go ahead." She gulped and smiled.  
  
Harry and Ron started talking about Quidditch, and Ginny was hanging on their (or more likely Harry's, Charlie thought) every word, even though she didn't have the slightest idea what half the stuff they said was. Hermione, not being a real Quidditch enthusiast, didn't join in. Charlie hadn't played Quidditch in so long, but he still remembered most of the little things, like the names of the plays, and every little foul. All the same, he didn't join in the conversation either.  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence between him and Hermione for a few minutes.  
  
"Er, so Charlie," Hermione started. "When we get to Hogwarts, are you going to have to act like a regular teacher, you know, sitting at the head table and having us call you Mr. Weasly?"  
  
"God, I hope not." He said without thinking. "I hate being the center of attention. I'd much rather eat at the Gryffindor table. As for the Mr. Weasly thing, I don't mind either way, but some of the other teachers might get a bit uptight about it."  
  
"Ah." The uneasy silence floated back over them.  
  
"So..."  
  
"So."  
  
They sat in silence for the rest of the train ride. 


	4. Feasts and Insults

A/N: Welcome once again! Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. Um...I think that's it. Sorry nothing really happens in this chapter, it's more informative than anything else. Oh yeah, I don't think J.K. mentioned Flitwick's first name anywhere, so I made it up. Julius Flitwick. Has a nice ring to it. :C) Well, as always, read, enjoy, and PLEASE REVIEW!!! And to all Snape Lovers, sorry I made him so mean! Love, Dragonessa Smith  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Welcome to another glorious year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Dumbledore said. "Now, for the sorting!"  
  
Charlie was sitting at the head table, in-between Prof. McGonagall's seat and Prof. Flitwick, nervously glancing around. In all his life, he had never felt more out of place than he did right now, not even when he was at the pet show in his first year.  
  
Charlie had to grin a little at the memory. Everyone else brought in nifflers or owls or normal pets, and he had caused a panic when he showed up with a baby Australian Scorch-back dragon on a string, which he had found and hatched, with the help of numerous books from the library.  
  
He felt a surge of guilt and anger as he remembered all the Howlers he and his family had received as a result of the pet show. The things those people wrote about him! And he was only eleven years old at the time! The remarks were still fresh in his mind: Idiot boy, menace to society, a danger to anyone who crosses him, stupid little dunderhead...  
  
"Wasn't even that big, it could only snort sparks, didn't even have any proper teeth..." He grumbled under his breath.  
  
He looked longingly at the Gryffindor table as the Sorting Hat sang it's song. He scanned the rows of people at the tables. He caught Lavender's eye for a few seconds; then she became increasingly obsessed with what her empty plate looked like. He saw lots of Ron and Harry's friends, including Neville, Dean, Seamus, Colin, and Dennis, to name a few.  
  
"Isn't that right Charlie?" A voice in his ear made him jump.  
  
"What, um, sorry Professor Flitwick, what did you say?" He stammered.  
  
Professor Flitwick laughed and shook his head. "Still not paying attention, are you Charlie? Heaven knows you weren't paying attention that day you summoned my desk."  
  
Charlie laughed nervously too. "Broke right in half when it crashed into me." He paused nervously. "So, um, Professor Flitwick, should I still call you Professor Flitwick, or would you prefer something else?"  
  
"You can call me or any of the other staff members by our first or last names now, Charlie. You're a teacher too." He smiled encouragingly.  
  
"It's just that there are so many of the same teachers I used to have."  
  
"Yes, it can be a bit intimidating at first." Professor Flitwick said. "But you'll get used to it in time, Charlie."  
  
"Ok...Julius." He said tentatively.  
  
"You never were very patient, were you Charlie?"  
  
He turned around. Snape was standing behind his chair, grinning evilly down at him.  
  
"Hello Severus." Charlie grinned back at him.   
  
Snape scowled down at him suddenly. "You were always a cheeky fellow, weren't you?"  
  
"Severus!" Professor Flitwick scolded. "Charlie is a teacher here now too. I must ask that you treat him with the kind of respect you show to the other teachers."  
  
"So none then?" Charlie muttered, staring back down at his plate.  
  
Severus placed his hand on Charlie's shoulder. "I will show him the respect I show you when he stops acting like the insolent little brat he is."  
  
Charlie didn't move, but his face burned dark red.  
  
"You may think you're a big shot now," Snape hissed in his ear. "But I swear, Weasly, one screw up, one spot of trouble, and I go straight to Dumbledore. Then you're back to, what is it? Sleeping in shabby tents all over the place? And then you'll have to leave home and go back to work."  
  
Charlie was shaking with rage as Snape walked away. Flitwick patted him reassuringly on the back.  
  
"Don't worry about Snape, Charlie. He's still in a bad mood because Dumbledore passed him up for the Defense Against The Dark Arts position again."  
  
"You'd think that by now, he'd get over whatever he's got against my family." Charlie spat bitterly.  
  
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall." Dumbledore said, drowning out Professor Flitwick's answer. "Now, before the feast begins, I have a few short announcements to make. The Forbidden Forest is, of course, still forbidden, even to former students, except those who are now teachers."  
  
Charlie felt, rather than saw, everyone in the room turn to look at him.  
  
  
  
  
  
Poor Charlie, Hermione thought. How embarrassing.  
  
Dumbledore continued. "Speaking of former students turned teachers, we have a new addition to our staff."  
  
"When do we not?" Malfoy called out.  
  
"Hagrid has delightfully taken on the job of Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher," Dumbledore continued, his eyes flashing at Malfoy. "And one of our former students has accepted his old job. Please give a warm welcome to Charlie Weasly, our new Care of Magical Creatures professor."  
  
The Gryffindor table exploded in cheers. So did the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. The Slytherins, of course, clapped very little. Indeed, Malfoy looked like he was going to be sick.  
  
Well, that's another plus, Hermione thought.  
  
"Now for the feast!" Dumbledore announced. "Eat well, for if there is nothing in your heads, there should at least be something in your stomachs."  
  
  
  
  
  
~!*!~  
  
September 11, 2006   
  
  
  
  
  
"Okay, everyone. We'll be taking observations on the giant squid today." Charlie was finally getting the hang of teaching. "Before we head down to the lake, I'll be passing back your Merpeople tests."  
  
He started down the rows of desks. It was the first year Care of Magical Creatures was being held, in the most part, in a traditional classroom.  
  
"Ron, good job, but you misspelled the Merpeople's colony name. It's Maraqua, not Maracwa. Harry, great, full marks. Hermione, excellent, you even got the extra credit."  
  
"Gee, I wonder why his brother's friends got full marks on their homework?" Draco wondered in a loud whisper. The Slytherin's laughed uproariously at this. Hermione looked up at Charlie, and he winked at her.  
  
Turning to Malfoy, he announced loudly "You got full marks too, Draco."  
  
The Gryffindors laughed even louder at this. Draco shrunk down in his seat, his usually pale face tinged pink.  
  
That'll teach you to make fun of Hermione, Malfoy, Charlie thought. No! Don't think about it! I'm warning you, you'll just end up getting hurt when you see her start to date someone else.  
  
He continued passing out the papers. When he finished, he walked back to the front of the room.  
  
"All you'll need is a piece of parchment and a quill. We'll come back before the end of the period, so you can leave your bags."  
  
He turned and started to pick up his lesson plans for the day.  
  
He turned around again, and was face to face with Hermione. 


	5. Silent Sobs

A/N: Hi, Dragonessa again. This chapter is a bit fast-paced, you'll see why in a bit. I know Hermione's reaction to Lavender isn't exactly realistic, but I kinda got a small case of writer's block there. Thanks to all my wonderful and lovely reviewers! I know have double-didgit reviews! Woo-hoo! I think that's all I have today.   
  
  
  
  
  
You lagged behind on purpose, didn't you?  
  
Yes, she thought angrily. I did. And you can't do anything, because you're just a voice in my head. I'm going to tell him how I feel about him, right now.  
  
"Hermione?" Charlie asked. "Can I do something for you?"  
  
Yeah, make me seven years older or make yourself seven years younger, so this crush might have a chance to work.  
  
Stalling. You won't tell him.  
  
Will too.  
  
"Hermione?" Charlie asked again.  
  
"Um, no, never mind." She turned and hurried to catch up with Ron and Harry.  
  
Told you so.  
  
Shut up.  
  
  
  
~!*!~  
  
September 30, 2006   
  
  
  
"Hermione?" Lavender asked. She held her hands behind her back. Parvati stood beside her, hands on hips.  
  
"Mmm?" Hermione muttered. She was lying on her bed, finishing up a bit of Arithmacy homework, and she was in the middle of a rather tricky equation.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Homework."  
  
"Oh, I see." Lavender said. She took from behind her back a sheet of paper covered in little hearts. "Since when does your homework involve doodling "HG+CW" in little hearts?"  
  
Hermione froze. She knew her face was burning red, but she couldn't move, couldn't grab the paper away from Lavender, shout at Parvati, or strangle them both so they could never, ever tell anyone.  
  
"Now, I know you're HG, and I know that Charlie's initial's are CW, but that can't be the same CW as you wrote on here, right? Because that would mean that you like Charlie, but you don't, do you?" Parvati sounded slightly panicked at the thought of smart, sane Hermione falling level head over heels in love, with a teacher, no less.  
  
Hermione hung her head. "You didn't tell anyone, did you?"  
  
"Oh. My. God." Parvati sunk to the floor, her head in her hands. Lavender was staring at Hermione like she'd grown another head. "I never thought I'd see the day you had a crush on someone."  
  
"Why?" Hermione asked, suddenly angry. "You think I'm that shy? That anti-social? That much of a bookworm? What? Why did you never think I'd have a crush?"  
  
"Well," Lavender said slowly. "You're either enemies or friends with all the cute guys at school, and I guess we just assumed that you'd never have a crush on any of them, and, well, all that's left is the not-cute guys."  
  
Hermione felt the anger deflate as quickly as it had come. She knew that Lavender was telling the truth. She was a terrible liar.  
  
"Okay. I forgive you guys...I guess." Hermione said. To tell the truth, she had been dying to tell someone, anyone. If Malfoy, heaven forbid, had come up to her with the paper, she would have been relieved.  
  
"So you like Charlie?" Lavender asked brightly, tactfully switching onto a lighter note. "I must say, you have pretty good taste. And an older guy. I know, guys our age are so immature."  
  
"When did this start?" Parvati had appeared behind Lavender again.  
  
"Well, it started at the Ireland vs. Bulgaria Quidditch World Cup..."  
  
  
  
~!*!~  
  
October 1, 2006  
  
  
  
"What is with her?" Ron asked Harry and Charlie. Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati were huddled in a corner of the common room by the fire, giggling.  
  
"Giggling, for goodness sakes. Doesn't she know what giggling does to a guy?" Harry asked.  
  
"I wonder what their talking about?" Charlie wondered.  
  
Probably a cute guy, a seventh year guy, not a seven-years-older guy.  
  
"I dunno." Ron said. "But it must be really funny, because their giggling up a storm."  
  
A sudden crack of thunder intensified Ron's statement. Minutes later, rain lashed against the windows of Gryffindor Tower.  
  
The common room emptied quickly after that. Charlie moved to a seat closer by the fire, thinking about Hermione.   
  
He was quite sure he was alone, until he heard a scratch of a quill on parchment. He stood up and looked around behind him, searching for the source of the noise.  
  
Hermione sat, her back to him, drawing something on a piece of paper. It wasn't schoolwork, Charlie could tell. So what was it?  
  
"Hey Hermione." He said, walking up behind her. "What's that?"  
  
She must have jumped nearly five feet in the air. Hermione grabbed the sheet of paper and held it against her chest, her arms wrapped protectively around it.  
  
"Nothing." She looked absolutely horrified.  
  
"C'mon, let me see; it can't be that bad." He tried to grab it, but Hermione held it just out of reach behind her back now.  
  
"No." She said quietly.  
  
"Fine, fine..." Charlie said, giving up. Hermione relaxed a little bit. She turned around to gather her things. "I don't need to see it."  
  
He snuck up behind her and grabbed the picture from under her arm.  
  
"Actually, yes I do."  
  
"No!" Hermione yelled. She tried to grab the picture back, but he stuck his arm out and held her back. In desperation, she jumped on his back and tried to grab the picture from him. But it didn't work.  
  
Suddenly, Charlie froze.  
  
  
  
  
  
Charlie froze.  
  
It was obviously an enchanted drawing. The two figures were moving, waving at him.  
  
One was a rather tall boy who had a mess of red hair, and was wearing jeans and a "International Quidditch Association" T-shirt. His arm was around a girl's waist. The girl had brown hair, and was wearing a dark green, knee-length dress.  
  
The girl was obviously Hermione. It looked exactly like her.   
  
She's a good artist, Charlie thought numbly.  
  
The boy could have been any of the Weasly brothers. They all looked more or less the same whenever anyone drew them.  
  
For one wild second, he thought it was Ron. Then he saw the little hearts that were floating around the couples.  
  
HG+CW  
  
Hermione slid down off his back. 


	6. Revelations

Hermione was numb.  
  
See? This is what happens when you do things like this! You get smashed.  
  
Silent tears started to fall from her eyes. She felt blindly behind her for the chair and sunk into it, sobbing loudly into her hands now.  
  
  
  
  
  
Charlie spun around, still clutching the paper. He had never felt so many emotions at once. Fear. Joy. Ecstacy. Horror. Bliss. Fear again.  
  
He was shocked to find she was sitting in the chair crying.  
  
"No, no, no..." He sat down next to her and wrapped one arm around her waist, the other smoothing her hair. She jerked slightly at this, but when she realized what he was doing, she seemed surprised.  
  
"What?" She looked up through her tears.  
  
"Don't cry, Hermione, don't, please." He said. He patted her back reassuringly, but she only sobbed louder.  
  
"I-have-never-been-so-embarrassed!" She sobbed loudly.  
  
"Hermione, please, don't be! We're both...augh! I feel so stupid!"  
  
"Wha, what? What do you-"  
  
Her words were drown out when he kissed her.  
  
(This time, it was one of those soulful, gaze-into-your-eyes-while-holding-hands kisses that you'd want your first kiss to be. Or second kiss, as the case may be.)  
  
"Hermione, I love you. I have loved you since the World Cup. I-I just didn't say anything because I didn't think you'd liked me back."  
  
She gave a small laugh at this. He tilted her head up with his thumb. He didn't seem to be able to look away from her eyes. They had never looked this sad before, yet so happy.  
  
He kissed her again, lightly, wrapping both arms around her back now. She didn't move for a few seconds, then, suddenly, she pulled away.  
  
"No." She was crying again. "This is so, so wrong."  
  
He ran his fingers through her hair. "Then why does it feel so, so right?"  
  
  
  
A/N: Blarg...rereading this, I wish it had been written by someone better...I promised myself I wouldn't go back and rewrite, just reedit, but I'm sorely tempted...I'd lengthen this, at least... 


	7. Drinking and Waiting

A/N: this is for Birdie. You thought that last chapter was short? You ain't seen nothing yet. (I don't usually torture my reviewers, just so ya know.) Love, Dragonessa Smith.  
  
  
~!*!~  
December 23, 2006   
  
Charlie walked into The Three Broomsticks, shaking the snow off his shoulders. He ordered a small butterbeer and sat, alone, in a secluded table set away from the others.  
He sipped his drink for a few minutes, then discreetly checked his watch. 11:59.  
One more minute. He thought, as he paid Madame Rosemerta for his drink.   



	8. Narcissa's Discovery

A/N: to make it up to Birdie (I was feeling rather guilty for a minute or two) I decided to post this  
chapter now instead of waiting a few more days. I doubt I could have waited more than a few  
minutes. BTW, I'm hoping to maintain my PG-13 rating for a while, so no *ahem* funny stuff will  
be going on between them. Yet. Love, Dragonessa Smith   
  
The other chair at the table scooted out ever so slightly.  
"Hi, Hermione."  
In response, he felt a kiss on his cheek. Blushing slightly, he got his cloak and walked to  
his room at the Three Broomsticks, where he was staying, since Ron and Harry had gone to the  
Burrow for Christmas break. Hermione had told them she was going home too, but she had  
asked to borrow Harry's invisibility cloak over the break.  
"Why?" Harry had asked suspiciously.  
"Well, my parents think I'm overworking myself, so they've been making me go to bed at  
10:00 each night. With the cloak, I could slip out and finish my schoolwork-"  
"Enough, enough, wait here and I'll go get it."  
Charlie smiled.   
I can't believe he fell for that.  
So you're finally on my side?  
Hey, she likes you, ok? Quit while you're ahead.  
When they reached his room, he turned the doorknob and opened the door. He stood  
holding the door open for a few seconds, then walked in and locked the door behind him.  
"Aromohola." He said, tapping the lock. The lock clicked.  
"Hermione?" He whispered, looking around. "Hermione?"  
"Boo!" A voice in his ear made him jump. He spun around. Hermione was laughing,  
holding the invisibility cloak folded under her arm.  
"Why you little...you'll pay for that." He grabbed her sides and started tickling her.   
"Ah-hahaha!" Hermione laughed. "Stop, stop it! Hahahahaha!" She reached behind her and  
started tickling him.  
"Bwa-ha-ha!" Charlie laughed, collapsing to the ground, Hermione laying on top of him.  
She rolled over and kissed him.  
"I love you." Hermione said.  
"I love you too." Charlie said.  
"How much do you love me?"  
"I love you more than Hagrid loves dragons."  
"Yeah? Well, I love you more than Harry loves Quidditch."  
"I love you more than Snape hates Harry."  
"I love you more than Ron loves chess."  
Giggling, they kissed again.  
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Charlie sat up suddenly, causing Hermione to  
bang her head on his shoulder.  
"Charlie? Cleaning staff, c'mon, I haven't cleaned up in there for ages. It's got to be a  
pigsty by now."  
  
The voice sounded oddly familiar to Hermione, but before she could attach it to anyone,  
Charlie was pulling her up.  
"Shhh!" He put a finger to his lips and grabbed the invisibility cloak. "Hide in a corner,  
somewhere close to the door. When I open the door to leave, follow me, okay, but be quiet!"  
Utterly confused, she went and stood by the door.  
Charlie glanced at her to make sure she was completely hidden, and opened the door.  
"Narcissa, I told you, I don't want my room cleaned until I check out."  
"Come on Charlie, it will be a disaster zone by then. I'd rather clean up every other day  
now, than for a week straight later."  
The lady bustled into the room, carrying mops, pails, sponges, and various other cleaning  
items.  
Hermione recognized with a start that the woman, was in fact, Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's  
mom.  
For one, agonizing second, she wavered on the brink of bursting out laughing. If only  
Draco could see this scene! For ages, he had been making rude remarks about the Weasly's home  
being unclean. Now, his own mother!  
She lowered the clock only enough so that Charlie could see her face while Narcissa's  
back was turned.  
"What is she doing here?" She mouthed at him, jerking her head towards Narcissa's  
backside.  
"I'll explain later." Charlie mouthed back. "Now get the cloak back on."  
Narcissa turned back to Charlie, her gaze piercing through him.  
"Someone else is here." She said mysteriously. Charlie was reminded of Prof.   
Trewlawney.  
"Wh-what do you mean?" Charlie tried to look relaxed, but it was like someone had  
switched off his brain. He couldn't figure out what to do with his hands. He stuck them in his  
pockets, ran them through his hair, scratched the back of his neck, anything to keep them busy.  
"Oh, I can tell when there's someone else in a room. Some sort of potion or charm or  
something Lucius did." She went on. "I can sense their presence. Ghosts, poltergeists, people  
using the Polyjuice potion, a girl hiding under an invisibility cloak by the door waiting for you to  
leave so she can too." She smiled sweetly at him. "One of the only useful things my idiot husband  
did for me."  
Charlie swore softly under his breath, ending with a word that sounded suspiciously like  
"Lucius."  
"Ok, Charlie? I'm gonna turn around and start getting ready to clean your room, okay?   
I'm not gonna be able to see anything but my bucket full of soap and sponges, all right? Well,  
gee, I hope whoever it is under the invisibility cloak doesn't think to get out the door now, while  
I'm not looking..." She turned and started cleaning.  
Charlie was still standing stunned. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about-"  
She looked up sharply. "Charlie, don't play dumb with me; I'm better at it than you. Just  
take your girlfriend and go out for a while. Have fun. Don't stay cooped up in here with her all  
day." She looked closer at him. "Are you two...you know...in here? Because I can tell she's a  
young one."  
"We are not!" Charlie swelled indignantly, doing an almost perfect impression of Percy  
whenever anyone called him Weatherby, except his face was much redder.  
"Good. You're a good boy, Charlie." She patted his cheek in a motherly fashion, then  
went back to cleaning. "Now leave."  
  
"Alright, alright, you win. We're going." Charlie said. Hermione couldn't believe they  
were going to get off this easily. Still, she tried to make it look like Charlie was the only one who  
had exited, in case she hadn't been telling the truth.  
Once they were outside, Hermione stole down a deserted alley, took off the cloak,  
refolded it to fit in her robe's pocket, and emerged. She acted as though she had just seen Charlie  
for the first time, waving and calling his name.  
They walked along, pretending to talk for a while, until they came to the end of the road,  
where they were the only ones left around them.  
"What is Narcissa Malfoy doing cleaning your room?" Hermione asked, barely waiting for  
Charlie to finish his last sentence.   
"Well, it's sort of a long story..."  
"I like long stories. Tell me."  



	9. Draco's Desires

A/N: Okay, I'm sorry about how long this has taken. Star testing, *MEAN!* teachers (No homework my a-) and other things have gotten in my way. I posted the second chapter to Neville, and posted a new story called The Truth. Title suggestions are always welcome. (Personally, I think both titles suck.) Umm...what else, what else...Disclaimer: You recognize, it ain't mine. I know it's a stupid reason about Voldemort, but I was having a brain block. I know Draco is acting a bit weird in this chapter, but I couldn't resist putting it in. Besides, I needed something to put in between there and the next chapter. Thanks to everyone who's been actually reading my other stories and reviewing. Oh yeah, I have a few questions for you guys to answer in your reviews:  
  
* Who should be the first person to find out about them? (Not Mr. Or Mrs. Weasly, or the Grangers, so basically Bill, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Harry, or Ginny.  
* How should they tell the rest of the people. (I.E.: Teachers, other students, etc.)  
* How should Ron find out? I have the little scenarios for everyone but him. I just cannot figure out what to do with him. Percy too. I have what Percy's going to say, but I really need some help on this.  
* Who let the dogs out? And would somebody please put them back in already!  
  
Okay, sorry about that last question. Finally, here's the chapter. Enjoy! And no complaining if it's too short or something, okay Birdie? Well, seeing as it's almost three pages, I don't think you'll be complaining. S:C) ----Not sure what this is, but it's cute. Love, Dragonessa Smith  
  
  
  
He sighed. "Okay, you remember, back in your fifth year or whenever, Voldemort was about to rise again?"  
Hermione shuddered slightly. "Yes. Harry was going to go and fight him, when suddenly, he just disappeared, died or whatever. No one's heard anything from him since."  
"Well, no one outside the ministry is supposed to know this, but Voldemort was on one of his killing sprees in a small muggle town, when an old WWII veteran ran out of his house with a small handgun. He shot You-know-who, and he died. They presumed that when he was reborn that summer, he was mortal."  
Hermione gasped. "The papers said he died, but they didn't say how. But how does this have to do with Narcissa cleaning up after you?"  
"Well, Lucius Malfoy was one of the first to go crawling back when people were hinting Voldemort was coming back to power. When he died, Lucius fled the country, probably to the United States somewhere. He left Narcissa and Draco penniless, so Narcissa had to take on the job of cleaning the rooms. (A/N: Sorry to all the people who wanted some big exciting scandal between Charlie and Narcissa.) She's actually a very nice person. You can tell that Draco would probably act a lot like Ginny if she had raised him instead of Lucius."  
Hermione snorted with laughter as a vision of Draco with red hair tied in pigtails, wearing green dress robes, popped into her head. When she saw Charlie looking at her strangely, it only intensified.  
  
~!*!~  
January 4, 2007  
  
They returned to the castle, separately, while they still had two days of vacation left. Since they couldn't be together when they were at the school, Hermione filled her time finishing her homework in the library, which she couldn't believe she hadn't finished yet.  
Really, I can't believe I didn't do any homework the whole two weeks, she thought, sifting through "Olde Potions and Anecdotes," looking for a Calliophis potion, which would give the drinker a golden glow for a few weeks, while sitting at a table where Madame Pince wasn't able to see her. She hated feeling like a lobster in an aquarium.  
"Whatcha doing, Granger?" A cold voice jeered her out of her thoughts. She looked up at Draco, who was standing alone behind her.  
"What does it look like Malfoy?" She replied icily.  
"You, doing homework two days before term starts?" He asked, snatching her Potions essay up and glancing at it, before dropping it again. "Never thought I'd see the day."  
"What do you want Malfoy?" She asked, wishing he would go away.  
"What do you think?" He whispered in her ear, bending over and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm the only Slytherin who stayed, and I'll bet no Gryffindor's did or you'd be hanging around them. What do you think I mean Granger?"  
A chill coursed through Hermione's body at his touch. Before Hermione could turn and ask sarcastically what he meant, he grabbed her arm, covered her mouth, and pulled her roughly into the very back corner of the library.  
"Silencio." He whispered again, before taking his hand away from her mouth. She knew better than to scream or cry out; the Silencio charm basically made you a mute, unable to talk or make any sound at all, even if she smacked him as hard as she could, it would make no sound. Which was becoming very tempting at the moment...   
Before she could raise her hand, he put the full body bind on her. Hermione felt herself stiffen suddenly, and she fell, rather painfully but without sound, onto the floor.  
"Dear, dear, dear, Granger, you should learn to keep your balance." He said with a smirk, propping her up against the bookshelf.  
Hermione felt like screaming.  
"I know you're probably wondering why I'm even associating with you, Granger. Let's just leave it at, well, I was getting very lonely down in the Slytherin Dudgeon."  
He leaned closer to her. She could see right into his eyes, ice blue, usually cold and uncaring, indifferent, but now they seemed to glow with an almost warm sort of passion.  
His lips brushed hers, softly.  
Hermione felt the anger well up inside her, and she longed to kick him where, according to the twins (and almost every other male on the planet,) "no man should ever be kicked." But, she couldn't do anything but wait for him to finish.  
He kissed her again, starting at her neck, and kissing all the way up to her earlobe.  
"No Potty and the Weasel to save you're neck now, is there, Hermione?" He whispered.  
A flash of red behind him distracted her, and she only had time to think, that's what you think, before someone shouted "Expellrimus!"   
She was knocked backwards into the bookshelf Draco had propped her against. She watched in amazement as he flew back almost five feet, stopping only when he hit the opposite bookshelf, and slumped to the floor.  
No sooner had he fallen, then Charlie grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and slammed him back against the shelf.  
"You lousy, rotten piece of shit," He spit out. He didn't shout, but it sounded the same. "I've got half a mind to pull out my wand and use the Crutio curse on you, you little-"  
"You harm one hair on my head, Weasly, and my father will have you sued and convicted so fast, you won't have time to blink." Malfoy replied confidently. "And this is probably just what he needs to get Dumbledore sacked: his own handpicked teacher, and a former student at that, threatening students with an Unforgivable Curse." He even dared to throw a smirk at Hermione, who was still standing frozen and silent a few feet away.  
Charlie's voice brought Malfoy's attention back to him. "Listen Draco, and listen carefully. I-don't-care. It's still Spring Break, and I'm not a teacher, I'm not a Hogwarts professor, I'm not even affiliated with the school at all during this time. All I am right now, Draco, is mad."  
"You, you'd still go to Azkaban." Draco replied, though not as confidently as before. Hermione happily detected a note of fear in his voice.  
Charlie grinned an evil grin. "It would be worth ten lifetimes in Azkaban, Malfoy, to pour salt on a slug like you."  
Draco turned a rather sickly grey color at this announcement. Without another word, he pulled out his wand.  
"Labgus." He muttered, pointing at Hermione, scowling fiercely now. "Mowblee."  
Hermione cried out in happiness as she regained her ability to make noise, and felt her body relax as the Full-Body Bind was lifted.  
"Now go, Malfoy." She said, the first words she had spoken since he had dragged her back there.  
"My father..." Draco started, but he faltered as Charlie pulled out his wand, and he hurried away, out the library doors.  
Once he was gone, Charlie turned to Hermione concernedly.  
"Are you okay? What did he do to you? I swear, if he hurt you, I'll-"  
"Use the Crutio curse on him?" Hermione couldn't help but grin. "I bet you wouldn't have."  
"Even if I wanted to." Charlie said. "It was a total bluff. I'm not sure what I would have done if he hadn't backed down."  
Hermione howled with laughter. Suddenly Madame Pince appeared.  
"Out, both of you, now!" She cried, shooing them out of the library. "This is a library, I will not tolerate loud laughter in my library! Out!"  



	10. Soup, Slytherin, and Sadness

Disclaimer: Nothings mine but the plot.  
  
A/N: Sorry it's been so long! I posted a few other stories, chapters, but i just couldn't get this chapter out. now that i have, please don't tell me it sucks or something. Please read my other stories. Um, Oh yeah, I have a few questions for you guys to answer in your reviews:  
  
* Who should be the first person to find out about them? (Not Mr. Or Mrs. Weasly, or the Grangers, so basically Bill, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Harry, or Ginny.  
* How should they tell the rest of the people. (I.E.: Teachers, other students, etc.)  
* How should Ron find out? I have the little scenarios for everyone but him. I just cannot figure out what to do with him. Percy too. I have what Percy's going to say, but I really need some help on this.  
* Who let the dogs out? And would somebody please put them back in?  
  
Sorry about that last one, but seriously, please review and answer them. Or else I'll make them all find out at the same time and end it in the next chapter! (J/K, but please answer them!)  
  
  
  
~!*!~  
March 23, 2007  
  
Charlie sat at the head table, trying to finish his soup as quickly as possible. It was one of the only times he had to be surrounded by the other teachers, and he still felt somewhat uncomfortable around them.  
He glanced once again at the Gryffindor table, wishing he could be a student again, and not have to sit up where everyone could see you and everything you did.  
On his left, Professor Flitwick was chatting about the house cup competition, apparently unaware that Charlie wasn't paying attention.  
"And it does look like it's going to be close, down to Slytherin and Gryffindor, of course, but this is the first time in a while since Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff have even been close. So, I'm going to dye my hair purple and elope with Professor Snape."  
Charlie dropped his spoon with a clatter on the table. "What?!?"  
Professor Flitwick smiled. "So you were paying attention."  
Charlie turned red. "Sorry, sir. I'm just not very good at concentrating when I'm up here. It feels like everyone's staring at me." He nodded towards the rest of the Great Hall.  
"You'll get used to it after a while, don't worry." Flitwick said. "So, as I was saying, it hasn't been this close since your parents were students, you know."  
"Really?" Charlie couldn't help but inwardly groan. This was quickly starting to sound like one of the Weasly Family Reunions. Old people talking about things his parents had done when "they were your age dearie."  
"Yes. I believe they were in their second year." Flitwick smiled. "I'll never forget the time Molly slapped Arthur because he said Gryffindor was going to win."  
"Huh?" Charlie asked. "Why was she mad about that?"  
"Don't you know?" He asked, surprised. "Molly transferred to Gryffindor her third year. The Slytherin's said she was too nice, especially to Arthur."  
  
"She was in Slytherin?" Hermione asked incredulously.  
"I know, I know!" Charlie was pacing in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were sitting in arm chairs by the fire. All the Weasly's looked rather shaken at the news that their mother used to be a Slytherin.  
"But she's so...nice." Ginny said.  
"Maybe the Sorting Hat noticed her temper." Ron muttered under his breath, earning him a glare from Ginny and a smack on the head from Charlie.  
"I wouldn't complain, Ron, you have the exact same type of temper as her." Ginny said icily.  
"Yeah, and you have dad's big nose." Ron threw back, earning another smack on the head, this time from Ginny.  
"You have a duck's feet." She snarled.  
"You have a banshee's mouth."  
"You have a spider's legs."   
"Quiet!" Charlie shouted. The common room fell silent.  
Turning a bit red, Charlie sank into a chair next to Hermione.  
"That isn't the worst part. Have you ever wondered why Dad and Lucius Malfoy are always at each other's throats all the time?"  
Ron and Ginny nodded, as did Harry and Hermione.  
"Well, Professor Flitwick told me that Mum used to date Lucius." Charlie struggled to get the words out. "Dad and Malfoy were enemies from even before they went to Hogwarts. Dad stole Mum from Malfoy in their third year."  
  
  
~!*!~  
June 15, 2007  
  
It was the last day of school, and the 7th year's last day at Hogwarts. Hermione had been elected class valedictorian, to no one's surprise, and she had made her speech, they had gotten their diploma's, and the people who had passed the test had gotten their apparition licences.   
Hermione, Ron, and Harry had passed, as did all the Gryffindor's, even Neville. They had all been delighted when Crabbe and Goyle hadn't passed, and had to ask Madame Hooch for extra lessons over the summer.  
"So you both are coming over this summer, right?" Ron asked. "Mum said I could have a graduation party, because all my other brothers have."  
"Cool." Hermione said. "Will your other brothers be going?"   
"Of course, where else would they go?"  
"Well, I just figured that they might be busy on account of they have jobs." She replied sarcastically.  
"Are you kidding?" Ron replied. "I had to sit through all five of their graduation parties. They are definitely sticking around for mine."  
"Yeah, and poor Ginny has to sit through six." Harry said.  
"Well, we all kind of had to sit through six." Fred said, coming up behind them with the rest of the Weasleys. "We all had to go to everyone else's."  
"Where's Charlie?" Ron asked.  
"He said he had to talk to Dumbledore about something." Mrs. Weasley said.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore?" Charlie said, entering the circular office.  
"Yes, Charlie?" Dumbledore said. He was standing at one of the windows, overlooking the Quidditch field where they had held the graduation ceremony.  
"I-I just wanted to give you my, my letter of resignation, sir."  
"Ah, yes. I had a feeling you would be leaving." Dumbledore didn't turn from the window as he spoke.  
"Um, well," Charlie suddenly felt uneasy. He thought he detected a hint of dissapointment in Dumbledore's voice. "I'll, just leave this here-"  
"How's Hermione?" Dumbledore interrupted, sounding as casual as if he had just asked about the time.  
"What?" Charlie's heart started beating very fast.  
"How's Hermione?" He repeated. "And how's Harry? And Ron. I haven't seen them in a while, and we didn't get to talk much during the graduation ceremony."  
Charlie started breathing again. "Oh, they're-fine." he said. "I've got to go, sir, they're waiting for me. Goodbye."  
As the gargoyle slid back into place behind him, Dumbledore turned from the window.  
"Charlie, Charlie, Charlie," He said sadly. He turned to Fawkes. "Why do you feel the need to lie to me?"  



	11. Girl And Guy Interrupted

"Cool party Ron." Parvati said over her shoulder. She was dancing with Seamus in the Weasley's paddock, which had been, with everybody's help, turned into an ideal place for a party.  
  
There were blue bubbles, courtesy of the twins and a large pack of Droolie's Best Bubble Gum.   
  
Bill, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had somehow set up a sound system not unlike the one at the Yule Ball.   
  
Mr. Weasley and Percy had convinced the Ministry to help set up portkeys for those who lived far away.   
  
Charlie had persuaded several dozen pixies (of the non-cornish variety) to fly around, and   
Mrs. Weasley had outdone herself with enough food to feed ten armies.  
  
Ron had invited almost all of their graduating class (minus the Slytherins) which made it very hard for Hermione and Charlie to find a moment to be alone, a fact both of them found extremely frustrating.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been talking with Ernie, Justin, and Hannah. She excused herself for the millionth time. Harry and Ron barely noticed.  
  
Stupid, Charlie thought. Don't know what they have.  
  
He walked up to her, pretending to just congratulate her. As he turned to leave, he whispered "Your room, ten minutes."   
  
She barely nodded.  
  
It took him ten minutes just to get through the crowd down to the house. He took the stairs two at a time, and when he finally got to "her room," the room she and Ginny were sharing, Hermione was already waiting outside the door.  
  
"You're late." She said, smiling. "But worth the wait."  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
"Oh no!" Mrs. Weasley said. "We're out of ice!"  
"I'll get some more mom!" Ginny yelled over the music.  
"Fine!" Mrs. Weasley yelled back. "But put some real shoes on! No sandals!"  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Hermione opened the door and walked into the cramped bedroom, Charlie not far behind. They sat down on the edge of the bed.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Ginny sighed as she made her way towards the house. How could her mom have even seen her feet? She was five feet away, and people were packed all around them.  
A bush scratched her foot.  
But wearing shoes wouldn't be that bad of an idea. It was a pretty long walk from their house to the store.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Charlie wrapped his arms around her waist, a movement he had done quite a few times now. Sighing softly, Hermione leaned back against the pillow, her lips still on Charlie's.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Where did I leave my shoes? Ginny wondered. Oh yeah, under the bed.  
She opened the door, remembering not to slam it shut, as her mother had told her many times before.   
She walked down the hallway towards the stairs.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Charlie's right hand traveled from Hermione's cheek to her side. He slid his other hand under her back.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Ginny took the stairs two at a time.   
I'm glad my room is only on the third floor, she thought. I'd hate to have to go all the way up the stairs just to get to my room like Ron does.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Hermione slid her hands from Charlie's sides to his face, and slowly ran them down his neck, down his shoulders, until they were resting on his chest.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Only one more flight of stairs, Ginny reminded herself. She had left her sandals by the front door, so her small feet made almost no sound at all on the stairs.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Charlie slid his right hand under Hermione so that she was completely smothered by him. She moved her hands from his chest to his back, overlapping them slightly.   
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Finally, Ginny thought, stopping in front of her room to catch her breath. She reached for the doorknob.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Hermione heard a small creak from outside the room.  
Probably just your imagination, she told herself, as Charlie began kissing her neck.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Ginny placed her hand on the doorknob.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Did the doorknob just move? Charlie thought. He mentally sighed. Now your just getting paranoid-  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Ginny twisted the knob.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
"AAAAAAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
"Did you just hear something?" Mr. Weasley asked Mrs. Weasley.   
"Sounded like Ginny screaming." Mrs. Weasley sighed. "She probably stepped on something. I told her to wear shoes."  
  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
A/N: So what did you think? Cheesy? Stupid? Absolutely fan-diddily-tastic? (Ned Flander-ese for fantastic.) Well, most of you guys (WHO ACTUALLY ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS) put Ginny as one of the people you wanted to find out first, so I decided to go with her.   
  
Sorry this has taken too long, but I have a really good excuse: I've been on the other side of the country. True. The second day of summer vacation, I had to be at school at 3:15. In. The. Morning. Just so I could go on a six hour flight to a place I've been before, to see stuff I never knew existed and didn't really care about in the first place. Okay, I'm over-exaggerating. (If there is such a thing.) It was pretty cool. If you want details, you can email me. But why you would want to hear about my trip is beyond me.   
  
Oh yeah, the day after I got back from this week-long tour of the Coloniel East Coast, I had to go to a birthday party, and then the day after that I had an orthodontist appointment to get an indent done so I can get a new retainer (I lost my old one. Bad Dragonessa! Bad!) And get this: Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment at 8:45 in the morning. Is there a new law which says I can't spend my vacation vacationing?   
  
Oh yeah, please, please, PLEASE answer the questions I put in chapters...um, whatever two chapters are before this. (Pathetic, I know, I've forgotten how many chapters there are in my own story and I'm too lazy to look it up.) In case you forgot, I actually use your input. See up at the begining of this stupidly long author's note? It says that I put Ginny first because you guys said you wanted her to find out. So unless you guys want two people deciding what happens, ANSWER THE QUESTIONS! NO DECISIONS WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! (This is what happens when I am forced to listen to people drone on about what I learned in fifth grade.)  
  
Love, Dragonessa "Woman of the World" Smith  
  
P.S: Did anyone else notice I used the words Slid and Wrapped a lot? If you think of any other (PG) words I could use, it would be very "Cool party Ron." Parvati said over her shoulder. She was dancing with Seamus in the Weasley's paddock, which had been, with everybody's help, turned into an ideal place for a party.  
  



	12. Is It For Real?

A/N: This chapter is an early birthday present, since I won't be near a computer until next tuesday. This chapter is dedicated to Strega Brava. Happy Birthday! Everyone say happy birthday Strega Brava!  
  
Everyone: Happy Birthday Strega Brava!  
  
Okay, well, finally, another chapter. Know what? I just thought this was interesting. DW,HH has been up for a few months now, right? It has 12 chapters, right? It's gotten 68 reviews so far. Chit-Chat has five chapters, and has been up for about a month or two. It has 90 reviews. Well, most of those just said "Who's BlueSephora?" So now that it's out, I think it'll stop getting so many reviews. That's all.  
  
Oh, and also, a side note to Strega: Don't worry, I am going to write more to Chit-Chat. I want to write the staff chat especially. Do you have any ideas for what Snape's chat name could be? LOL, I'm afraid of making one up myself and accidentally offending one of the many Snape-Lovers out there. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks! On with the story! Love, Dragonessa.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ginny's shocked eyes kept darting over and around the sight that lay before them.  
  
This wasn't right. No. It couldn't be. Hermione was her friend. Charlie was her brother. What was she doing? What were they doing?  
  
Ginny felt faint. What if she had come five minutes later? Ten? Not at all? What would have happened then? What already had?  
  
Charlie spoke first. Ginny was glad. She didn't think she could handle Hermione's voice just then.  
  
"Ginny." he said. He swallowed hard. "Ginny, it's not what you think-"  
  
"How would you know what I'm thinking?" She replied in a voice much colder than she ever knew she had. "I hate you. I hate you both." Turning, she ran down the stairs. She was oddly calm as she pulled on her sandals and took off down the road.  
  
She didn't stop running until the Burrow had sunken under the horizon. Then she sat under the nearest tree and cried.  
  
  
  
That night, after all the guests had left, and the Wesley's, Harry, and Hermione were having a very late dinner after a very long clean-up, Mrs. Weasley said "Ginny, weren't you going to get ice this afternoon? What happened?"  
  
Charlie choked on his fried chicken. Hermione knocked over her glass of water.  
  
Ginny glanced at both of them, before returning her gaze to her plate. "I was walking, and I got distracted. When I finally remembered what I was supposed to do, it was too late, the store was closed, so I decided to come home."  
  
Hermione dared to catch her eye and smile at her, but Ginny just looked at her with a blank expression.  
  
As they were getting ready for bed that night, Ginny was silent. Usually she was chatting with Hermione about what had gone on that day, but under the circumstances, neither of them felt like talking.  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Come in." Ginny said in an overly cheerful voice, switching from her neutral expression to a very forced-looking smile.  
  
Hermione didn't know whether to be happy or upset that Charlie opened the door and walked in. From the look on her face, Ginny didn't either.  
  
"Ginny?" He said, in a quiet but firm voice. "We need to talk."  
  
"No, we don't." She responded in the same type of voice.  
  
"Ginny, I've been thinking..."  
  
"Good for you. What, do you want a medal or something?"  
  
"No, I just want you to give us a chance to explain ourselves, so you don't end up hating us for the rest of your life."  
  
"I don't hate you." She said. "I'm just mad at you."  
  
"Same difference." Hermione said. "Ginny, if you'd just let us explain-"  
  
"Would you stop saying us?" Ginny screeched suddenly. "It's hard enough to try and comprehend what you two were doing, without you constantly shoving it under my nose!"   
  
"I'm sorry." Charlie said, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Ginny. "I'm not used to hiding something this big from you guys."  
  
"Why are you hiding it?" Ginny asked, looking from Hermione to Charlie and back again.  
  
"Ginny, I know you and Fred and George and Bill, and probably even Percy and dad, would be perfectly fine with this. But you've got to remember about Mum and Ron and their tempers." Charlie said.  
  
"Yeah. I don't think mum would be very understanding." Ginny said, nodding thoughtfully.  
  
"So you see why we have to keep this a secret?" Hermione asked, sitting on the other side of Ginny.  
  
Ginny smiled softly. "Yeah, I see why we have to."  
  
  
  
"Ginny, Hermione, I'm going to Diagon Alley, are you sure you don't want to come?" Mrs. Weasley poked her head into Ginny's room. "It'll just be you two. All the boys are coming with me. Well, except Charlie. He'll be working in his room. Your father's at work. Are you sure you'll be alright?"  
  
"It's okay mom!" Ginny said. "We'll be fine. I promise the house will still be standing when you come back."  
  
Mrs. Weasley looked like she was going to say something, but there was a crash from the stairs. A minute later, Fred and Bill's voices floated up at them.  
  
"My potion!"  
  
"My earring!"  
  
"My god, what now?" Mrs. Weasley hurried away, calling over her shoulder "You know how to reach me if you need me, bye girls!"  
  
"Bye mum!" Ginny said. She shut the door firmly. "Finally." She sighed. "Do you think mum worries too much?"   
  
"Just a tad." Hermione said. They burst into giggles.  
  
"Want to take a quiz, Ginny?" She asked, folding the magazine back.   
  
"What kind?"   
  
"Is It For Real?" Hermione giggled, just reading the title.  
  
"Sure. Why not? But you have to take it too."  
  
"Fine." She rooted around Ginny's cluttered desktop for a pen. Then she started reading the questions.  
  
"Question One: You and your man are eating lunch at a small café. The waiter brings the bill. Who reaches for it first? A, You. B, him. C, you split the bill like you always do." She made a small mark on the paper. "C for me, what about you?"  
  
"Probably A," Ginny said, blushing a bit.  
  
"Okay. Moving on. Question Two: You're looking for a movie for your Saturday night Snuggle-fest." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You'll probably end up going with A, Terminator 2. He loves action movies. B, Notting Hill. Julia Roberts is the best actress in your mind. C, Billy Madison. You both love Adam Sandler." She made another mark. "C for me again. You?"  
  
"I think I could talk him into B." Ginny smiled mischievously. "But he would complain the whole time."  
  
"Question Three: If your guy was a music star, who would he be? A, Eminem. Feelings? Not for this guy. B, Sisqo. Sure, he may come off as a bit of a player, but he's got a heart of gold. C, Justin Timberlake. He couldn't act vicious if he had a pit bull and a machine gun. B, I guess."  
  
"B, definitely." Ginny said. Hermione looked at her strange.  
  
"Harry? As Sisqo?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "I don't think so. He's more of the Justin Timberlake variety."  
  
Ginny looked down at her hands. "I wasn't thinking about Harry." She said quietly.   
  
Hermione stared at her. "Who were you thinking about then?"  
  
"Well, promise not to tell anyone?"   
  
"Sure, I promise."  
  
"Well, it's kind of like you and Charlie, only he's not that much older than me. He's Fred and George's age." She leaned closer. "And you know what's the best part? I know he likes me too."  
  
"Who?" Hermione asked again, but before Ginny could answer, there was a knock at the door.  
  
"Who is it?" Ginny called.  
  
"Who do you think?" Charlie answered sarcastically.  
  
"Be nice, or I won't let you in." Ginny said.  
  
"Ginny, this used to be my room. I know there's no lock on it."  
  
"When's the last time you were in here? I had dad instal one."  
  
"Ginny, c'mon. Please?" Charlie pleaded. "Mum and the others left. You're wasting precious alone time!"  
  
"Fine, fine, stop whining and I'll let you in." She unlocked the door and Charlie walked in. Hermione immedietly set down the magazine and kissed him.  
  
"Oh ew." Ginny said, complaining good-naturedly. "If you two are going to make out, at least go to his room."  
  
Laughing, they left. Ginny looked around and, sighing, picked up the magazine.  
  
"Question four. True or false: You've contemplated stealing your best friend's boyfriend before." She made a mark on the page. "Definitely false." 


	13. Freak Out

A/N: Hey! This is way overdue, I know, but I have a million good reasons why this is late, that you guys probably don't want to hear right now. Okay, I'll keep this short, so you get to the story quicker! Okay, see ya!   
  
BTW, I know in the book, Charlie has trouble apparating, but I'm taking my fanfiction licence and stretching it to the max here and saying Bill does.   
  
Also BTW, I'm already working on my next X-Weasley/Hermione fanfic. (X-Weasley, x could be any Weasley, get it? Hehe! Can you tell I'm in algebra? Yeah, I thought so.) It'll be George/Hermione. Go me!  
  
And oh ya: Now that ff.net's charging for author alerts, I decided to be nice and email whoever reviews and leaves their email address when I post stuff, k? So an extra incentive to review! Go me!   
  
-Dragonessa "I finally have too much time on my hands! And I still have algebra homework! X = Who cares?" Smith  
  
PS: I know this sounds negative, but I don't like this chapter, like, at all. So I might re-write it when I have some spare time, but now I'm only writing this bcause my parents are watching my sister cheer at a football game, and I still have two days to do homework. So now I'm done. Seriously. Stop i-  
  
  
  
  
"Whew. It figures I would fall for the guy who's bedroom is on the very top floor." Hermione wheezed as she climbed staircase after staircase.  
  
"Hey, no one said loving me was easy." Charlie called. He was two floors above her.   
  
"Why couldn't we just apparate?" She asked for the 6th time.  
  
"I told you, mum and dad put an anti-apparation charm on the stairs because Bill kept trying to practice apparating."  
  
"This was before he failed the apparation test and landed on that little old lady?"  
  
Charlie laughed. "Oh yeah. He's never really liked apparation since then. Here we are."   
  
They were standing in front of a room with a small, dingy plaque on it that read "William and Charles's Room."  
  
"You both used to share a room?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah. This used to actually be the second floor. They decided to put the other floors under instead of on top."  
  
"So it's your parents fault that I'm getting blisters."  
  
Charlie laughed. "In a way."  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
"Bill, are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley asked. Bill had been lagging behind the rest of them all day, ever since they'd gotten to Diagon Alley.  
  
"Yeah, I think I just got some bad Floo Powder." His casual voice couldn't hide how flushed he looked, and Mrs. Weasley put her hand to his forehead.  
  
"Bill, you're burning up!" She exclaimed. "You'd better go home right now."  
  
"Are you kidding?" Fred asked. "It'll take ages for him to walk back to the Floo Powder station in his condition."  
  
"Yeah, he looks dead already." George said.  
  
"You two be quiet!" Mrs. Weasley snapped. To Bill, she said, "No, of course I don't expect you to walk. You can apparate from anywhere."  
  
"Oh no." Bill said, shaking his head. "I'm not apparating. I already feel terrible enough."  
  
"Come on Bill." Mrs. Weasley said, exasperated. "Apparating is easy if you just concentrate."  
  
Bill rolled his eyes. "I do concentrate. I concentrate on all the bad things that can happen when someone's apparating."  
  
"Well, your not staying with us. The last thing I need is seven sick kids and your dad coming down with it too. Now, get to someplace you can concentrate while you apparate, so nothing goes wrong."  
  
Bill stormed off.  
  
******************************************************************************Hermione looked around the room. Like most of the other bedrooms in The Burrow, it was small, and had two beds in the middle. She could still see bits of masking tape which had separated Bill's side and Charlie's side.   
  
Charlie's side was adorned with dozens of posters of wild animals and Quidditch and books about wild animals and Quidditch. A small glass cabinet in the corner displayed a huge figurine collection. It was like a miniature zoo. There were even fences to keep the animals separated.  
  
Bill's side was much cleaner, and more organized. All of his posters were neatly held up with push pins. He had a desk, which was sparsely furnished with a lamp, a pencil holder, and a stack of paper.Bill's bed was made, and the blanket was folded neatly at the foot of the bed. Charlie's was still unmade, and the blanket was hanging off one side.  
  
Charlie walked over to Hermione and, slipping a hand around her waist, asked, "What are you thinking?"  
  
"I'm thinking your bed is going to drive me nuts unless the sheets are at least pulled up and the blanket off the floor." Hermione replied, giving him a mock-stern look.  
  
Charlie looked at her in fake surprise. "Why, mum, you look just like Hermione."  
  
She ignored him and instead started to make his bed.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Okay, Bill, you can do this. Just think about your room. Your nice, orderly room. With Charlie's messy half. Okay, don't think about that. C'mon Bill. C'mon, you can do it...  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
"Happy now?" Charlie asked, looking around the room. "Geez, it looks like a hotel room."   
  
"It doesn't look like a hotel room, just a clean room." Hermione countered. "Besides, how would you know what a clean room looks like?"  
  
She turned around, but Charlie wasn't there.   
  
"Charlie?" She called. She turned around again. A small, stuffed dragon was peeking out from the other side of Bill's bed. Hermione couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Charlie's not here right now." The dragon, in a high pitched, squeaky voice that sounded suspiciously like Charlie's, said.  
  
"Oh really?" Hermione said, smiling. "Well, then, I guess I'll have to find someone else to make out with-"  
  
Charlie popped up from behind the bed, holding the dragon.  
  
"Charlie's back." He said, tossing the dragon over his shoulder.   
  
Hermione laughed.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Just concentrate, concentrate, you can do it...hey, she's cute...CONCENTRATE! C'mon, concentrate...why did the blonde stare at the carton of orange juice? It said "concentrate." Ha. Ha. And as a bonus, ha. Now concentrate! Concentrate...  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Charlie sat down next to Hermione on Bill's bed, pulling her into a deep kiss. She leaned back as he wrapped his arms around her waist. A small sigh escaped her as his lips brushed her cheek.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate...  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer to her as he left a trail of kisses from her cheek to her neck...  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Okay, either do it now, or walk home. Okay, concentrate, do it, just do it...NOW!  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
One of Charlie's hands slipped under the back of her shirt...  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Okay, concentrate, do it, just do it...NOW  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
CRASH!  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
CRASH!  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
"What was that?" Hermione cried. Charlie jerked his head around. It sounded like it came from the...closet? Someone was definitely in there; he could hear the shouting.  
  
"FUCK APPARATING! I hate apparating! Who invented this stupid apparating thing anyway? What's wrong with brooms? I hate apparating! Concentrate my ass-"  
  
The door knob jiggled, then the door flew open. Bill stormed out, looking like the closet threw up on him.   
  
"Who really likes to frikken apparate anyway-" He stopped mid-rant as he looked down and saw Charlie and Hermione. Instead of paling, like Ginny did, he turned deep red. They drew apart quickly, but it was too late; he was already shouting again.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing Charlie? On my bed! With Hermione! Oh God, there's something so wrong here, so wrong I can't even say it, does Ron know about this? What about Mum and Dad? The twins? Percy? I can't believe you two are doing that! On my bed! MY BED!"  
  
"Bill, chill!" Charlie shouted, one hand over his eyes. He sighed deeply. Hermione was blushing bright red. Bill started pacing, then he sat down on the foot of his bed. He sprang up suddenly as though it was electrified. He glared at them.  
  
"You two, are going to explain this. Now." He said, in a deadly whisper.  
  
Charlie looked petrified. Hermione looked like she was going to cry.   
  
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.  
  
"Charlie? Hermione? What's going on?" Ginny asked.   
  
Bill's eyes bugged out. "Does she know?" He hissed at them, throwing a furative glance at the door.   
  
Charlie rolled his eyes and nodded. Bill stormed over to the door, threw it open, and shouted at Ginny, who was standing outside the door, "How long have you known about this!?!"  
  
Ginny gasped. "What are you doing home? You're supposed to be gone all day!"  
  
"Oh," Bill shouted sarcastically. "Well, I'm sorry! I'll come back at a more convenient time for you!"  
  
And with a small poof, he was gone.  
  
"Well," Charlie said, as Ginny stepped into the room. "He finally got apperating right."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Yeah, I didn't like that chapter much, but oh well. I'm trying to make all the Weasley's reactions different, so you don't get like five chapters of Ginny's with the names changed.  
  
Okay, so, I guess this is it. Homecoming's in three weeks!!! I'm so excited!   
  
And get this: Tomorrow, me and two friends are going to see Zoolander and Hardball, and they're both going to dress up all gothic, and then I'm gonna dress up as a teeny-bopper! Hehehe...I'm gonna wear my friend's *NSYNC Shirt and they're gonna do my hair and makeup, and it's gonna be funny...Hehehe...  
  
HELP! ONE BY ONE THE SEVENTH GRADERS STOLE MY FRIENDS LAST YEAR, AND NOW THEY'RE SPITTING THEM BACK SLOWLY BUT SURELY AS WE MOVE ON TO HIGH SCHOOL AND LEAVE THEM IN THE DUST OF MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!  
  
Sorry about that.  
  
~Dragonessa Smith  



	14. Insert Interesting Title Here

(Insert Interesting Title Here)  
  
A/N: This is how blocked I was. I can't even think of a title for this chapter! I'm home from school all day with strep throat (Ugh.) So I decided I was going to update my three most popular stories-Dragon Wings, Hogwarts Heart, Wish Upon a Star, and even-GASP!-Chit-Chat! (Hopefully.)  
  
  
It had been over a week since Bill found out, and he had calmed down considerably. He was suddenly nervous and jittery whenever he saw Hermione and Charlie together, but at least he wasn't screaming obscenities anymore.  
  
"You know, I reckon we ought to tell someone before we have another nasty scene like that again." Charlie said one afternoon. They were by the Shrieking Shack, alone for a rare moment.  
  
"Who though?" Hermione asked. "So far, Bill and Ginny have found out, and those didn't go so well."  
  
"Yeah, probably because of the shock factor." Charlie insisted. "You know Bill is probably the most open-minded of all my brothers, and Ginny could think a cactus is cute if you put a bow on it. She loves romance and mystery. She'd probably love all this sneaking around and stuff. They just didn't handle it well because they weren't suspecting it."  
  
"So you're saying Ron would take the news better than Ginny if we just told him?" Hermione asked skeptically.  
  
"I'm working on it, alright? I think we should tell Fred and George next, or," He added quickly as Hermione opened her mouth to protest. "Just George if you'd rather do smaller steps."  
  
"Smaller steps of what?" Ginny asked, walking up to them, followed by Bill. "I told you they'd be here." She said to Bill.  
  
"Yeah." Bill said, fidgeting with his earing.   
  
"Bill, calm down." Hermione said in a soothing voice.  
  
"Huh?" He said, starting to fidget with his ponytail.  
  
Ginny gently grabbed his hand and held it still. "So what were you guys discussing?"  
  
"Who to tell next." Hermione said. "What do you think of George?"  
  
"Nice guy, about this tall, red hair..." Bill started. Ginny clapped a hand over his mouth.  
  
"Personally, I think you guys should tell everyone else at once. Hire a sky-writer. Throw a party. Get married." Ginny suggested. Bill choked behind her hand.  
  
"I think you're a bit ahead of us." Charlie laughed.  
  
"Even if we do decide to tell someone, how?" Hermione asked. "Did you ever think of that?"  
  
"That's what I have you for, isn't it?" Charlie teased. Hermione pretended to be mad, but when Charlie pulled her into a big hug and kissed the tip of her nose, she giggled.  
  
"You guys keep that up, you won't have to worry about who you tell." Bill said, glancing around. "Look, there's two girls down there who probably saw the whole thing." He gulped. "And now, they're coming up here." His voice shook just the tiniest bit.  
  
Charlie quickly let go of Hermione. She turned to look at who the girls were, laughed, then quickly gasped.  
  
"What's the matter Hermione?" Ginny asked, sounding worried.  
  
"Oh my God, they're going to kill me." She said, sounding preoccupied. "I completely forgot. Oh my God, they're gonna be so mad."  
  
"Who?" Charlie insisted.  
  
"Why?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Shut up!" Bill snapped.  
  
"Hermione Granger, you better have a good explanation for not keeping us updated about this!" Parvati shouted as she and Lavender reached the small group at the top of the hill.  
  
"What are they talking about?" Bill demanded.   
  
"Back in seventh year, they found a piece of paper I had been doodling on." Hermione said, chewing on her thumb nervously.  
  
  
"What had you been doodling?" Ginny asked, a smile growing on her face.  
  
"The whole paper was full of little hearts with HG+CW." Lavender grinned.   
  
"And she told us she'd keep us updated, but apparently she hasn't been."  
  
"I'm sorry, I just got very distracted."   
  
"I can see why." Lavender muttered, glancing at Charlie. He was in the process of turning red when Hermione cleared her throat loudly and jabbed him with her elbow.  
  
"So, is it out yet?" Parvati asked, "Or do we have to suffer in silence some more?"  
  
"Well, Bill and Ginny found out by accident, and now we're considering telling George by choice."  
  
"What about Fred? He'll be very pissed if he finds out George was hiding something from him." Lavender suggested.  
  
"Yeah, but our only other choices are Percy, Ron, and Harry."  
  
"Personally, I would go with Harry. No relation, he'd be very cool as long as your happy." Parvati added.  
  
"But if we tell Harry, he'll eventually tell Ron."  
  
"Good point. Yeah, I think the twins are your safest bet right now."  
  
"Okay, 'Mione? The twins?" Charlie asked, holding her hand.  
  
After a slight hesitation, she said, "Sure."  
  
Two voices from a nearby tree rang out suddenly.  
  
"Finally! Thought you'd never get around to telling us!"  
  
Fred and George climbed down from the tree.  
  
  
  
A/N: Okay, that's the best I could come up with, sorry! Anyway, the people who are left are Percy, Ron, Harry, and of course, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Who do you guys want to find out next? Review and tell me! 


	15. Wildfire

Wildfire  
  
AN: Has anyone heard of this Spanish rap song, where part of it goes, "Y la manana...?" I heard it in Berkeley and now it's stuck in my head.  
  
  
"What is with those two? Are they like, part spy?" Lavender asked. They were back at the Three Broomsticks, Fred and George getting some refreshments to celebrate.  
  
"No, I think they're part-Seer." Lavender was turned around in her seat watching them.  
  
"They're wholly annoying." Charlie muttered. "Now we're back at square one, with two more opinions and two less choices."  
  
"So, now you have Percy, Ron, and Harry, who isn't really a choice, since he's generally lumped with Ron." Fred placed two pitchers of butterbeer on the table. Close behind him, George was carrying a Honeydukes bag.  
  
"You two move way too fast." Bill shook his head.   
  
"Are you talking to us, or the twins?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Both of you. Why don't you just chill for a while? You just told two people. And how do you go get stuff from another store in the time it takes to get some butterbeer?"  
  
"First of all, they didn't tell us. We already knew."   
  
Ginny raised an eyebrow. "How?"  
  
"It was kind of obvious to us when you three always stayed home when everyone else went out."  
  
"And we have an express account at Honeydukes." George added.  
  
"Zonkos too."  
  
"Very handy."  
  
"Indispensable."  
  
"Couldn't go on without it."  
  
"Every trouble-makers best weapon-"  
  
"Stop, you two are making me sick." Lavender groaned. "You sound like a commercial."  
  
"Well, this whole thing sounds like the plot to a bad teen movie."   
  
"Or a really good piece of fanfiction." Parvati added. (A/N: ;C)  
  
Everyone stared at her.  
  
"Just saying." She blushed.  
  
"So, since you didn't really tell us, we think that we shouldn't count. So how's Percy sound?" Fred asked, before chugging half his butterbeer.  
  
"Slightly nasal." Hermione muttered.   
  
"I'll have you know, that's only because Charlie hit me in the face with a Bludger when we were little." A slightly nasal voice said from behind her. "Better watch out, or he'll do the same to you."  
  
Hermione groaned. "Tell me Percy isn't sitting behind me."  
  
"Okay, I won't tell you." Fred and George chorused.  
  
"Since we're not telling people things, why don't you not tell me what the hell's going on?" Percy's voice rose slightly. "You seem to be pretty good at it."  
  
Charlie sighed. "Funny story, Perce. You see..."  
  
That was as far as he got before Percy got started.  
  
"How could you betray Dumbledore's trust like that? Going around behind his back with a student, not only is she underage, but she's Hermione, for the love of Merlin! Practically our sister! Have you no shame?" He cried, wagging his finger under Charlie's nose (Which was about at his eye level).  
  
"Percy wait," Hermione started.  
  
"And you! Prefect! Head girl! Valedictorian! You should be setting the examples! Every first year looked to you as the prime example of what a Hogwarts witch should be. Instead you go...galavanting around! With a teacher! Not just a teacher but Charlie!"  
  
"Hey," Charlie blushed. "I rese-"  
  
Percy turned, shooting daggers at his older brother.  
  
"I. Am not. Finished with you yet! Can you imagine what it will be like for me at work, when this little 'affair' leaks out?!? I'm having enough trouble convincing everyone there that I'm not totally incompetant, seeing as I'm the youngest department head and all."   
  
Percy paused briefly, puffing out his chest in pride. He shook his head slightly, adding almost as an afterthought, "But that's besides the point. Did you ever stop and think what Harry and Ron will have to say about this? Not to mention Mum!"  
  
That was obviously something they hadn't thought about before. Charlie and Hermione turned their stark white faces to each other, exchanging worried glances. 


	16. Curses

Curses!  
  
  
A/N: Free time rocks! My laptop sucks! Read on.  
  
  
  
As they stepped out of the Three Broomsticks, lost in thought, Hermione was only vaguely aware of a hooded figure heading towards them, until he stepped in front of them.  
  
"Hey, what's up?" Bill asked, as the figure withdrew his wand.  
  
Without a word, he pointed it at Hermione and cried, "Aurora Rosa Cions!"  
  
As she wavered precariously, he took off down an alley, Percy and Bill following.   
  
Charlie kneeled next to her as fast as he could. "Ginny, Fred, George, help me get her to the bench!"   
  
They carefully lifted her limp body and carried it to the nearest bench. A crowd had started to form.  
  
"Someone call an ambulance!" A large woman screamed. When no one moved, she smacked a small man standing next to her with her purse. "Go call an ambulance, Herbert!" He took off for the nearest payphone, quarters in hand.  
  
Bill and Percy returned, out of breath and red in the face.   
  
"We couldn't catch him." Bill gasped. "But we got a piece of his cloak. Tore off after he jumped a chain link fence and disappeared."  
  
"Does anyone remember what the guy said?" Percy addressed the crowd. "Please! I can find the counter-curse if anyone remembers what he said!"   
  
"It was 'aura rose scones!'" The large woman called out.  
  
"No, it was 'hora rose senses!'" Someone in the back added.  
  
"Wait, I know the middle word was 'rosa,' not rose." Fred told Percy. "And the last word sounded like it started with a 'z.'"  
  
"And the first word was 'aurora,' like from Sleeping Beauty." Herbert piped up timidly.  
  
Percy fixed his gaze on Herbert. "Sleeping Beauty? You're sure it was aurora?" When he nodded, Percy grimaced. "This isn't that bad, but we need to get home. Fast."  
  
"Get us home then! Now!" Charlie shouted, starting to panic slightly. He reached up and held Hermione's hand. "Don't worry, I'm going to fix it. Whatever it is."  
  
As Percy and Bill began casting a transporting spell, the crowd broke into a chorus of 'Aww's. The large woman sniffled. Herbert handed her a tissue.  
  
  
At the Burrow, things were hectic, to say the least.  
  
Percy had immedietly bolted up the stairs towards his room. Charlie was kneeling by Hermione, and everyone else was basically standing around looking nervous.  
  
"Get her on the couch. Get a blanket. Do something!" Charlie called. "Come on! What do we usually do?" He shouted.  
  
"We ask Hermione!" George shouted back.  
  
"Oh. Right."  
  
"What's going on?" Ron asked, scaring everyone. He and Harry emerged from the kitchen, skittering across the floor.  
  
"Hermione!" Harry cried, noticing her for the first time.  
  
"What did you do?" Ron glared from Fred to George, and back again.  
  
"We'll explain later." George informed them. "We need to find a counter-curse for 'aurora rosa' something with a 'z.' Have either of you heard of it?"  
  
"Don't worry, I'm already looking it up." Percy called from above. "Ha!  
  
The sound of hurried footsteps, followed by several loud thumps, accompanied Percy's descent down the stairs. Despite some bruises, he'd managed to keep his place in the book.  
  
"It's a faerie curse." He mumbled. "Straight out of a faerie tale."   
  
"What?"  
  
"They're these stupid curses that are modeled after faerie tales that Muggles like to read. Pure rubbish by a wizarding standpoint, full of witches as old crones dressed in black and rhyming spells, but a while back, some smart ass decided to actually create spells from the stories."  
  
"Like 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Cinderella,' right?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Exactly. I remembered reading about them for my Muggle studies class."  
  
"You haven't had a muggle studies class in four years!"  
  
"George, I still remember who I sat next to at lunch on my first day of school."  
  
"Yeah, Bill and Charlie."  
  
"I heard that."   
  
"You were supposed to."  
  
"Shut up!" Charlie screamed. "Percy, just tell me what we need to do."  
  
"Well, it was from 'Sleeping Beauty,' and in the story, she could only be awakened by her true love's kiss."  
  
Everyone looked at Charlie. Well, not quite everyone; Harry and Ron were looking at each other.  
  
"So, we're screwed." Ron announced, turning and pacing in front of the couch. "Maybe we should all just kiss her and-"  
  
Harry grabbed his sleeve and spun him around roughly. Charlie had already kissed her.  
  
She didn't move, and Charlie felt his heart sink into his shoes. "Percy, are you sure that's the right charm? Maybe you didn't-"  
  
"He was right."   
  
Everyone leaned forward as Hermione's eyes flitted open.  
  
"How do you feel?" Charlie asked excitedly, wiping her hair from her face.  
  
"Fan-sucky-tastic." She grinned sadly at him. "Like I've had the flu. I feel disgusting."  
  
When Charlie didn't say anything, she looked up at him again. "What?" She asked.   
  
"I'm trying to figure out what you're talking about. You look beautiful to me."  
  
(A/N: I want a guy who acts like Charlie! Wah!)  
  
"You want to explain what the fuck is going on?" Ron screamed suddenly, reminding everyone of his and Harry's ignorance on the subject.  
  
"I'd like to know also, and watch your language, Ron."  
  
Everyone looked up at the doorway. Mr. Weasley was standing just inside the front room. 


	17. Coming Out

Well, the Secret's Out...  
  
  
A/N: Way too short, I know, but I posted two chapters today, so it cancels out. More to come soon!  
  
  
  
"...And that's the whole story, dad." Charlie finished.   
  
Mr. Weasley looked slightly jaded. (Who wouldn't?) Ron had paled several shades, and Harry had remained motionless for most of the story, only blinking once or twice.  
  
Finally Mr. Weasley rubbed his eye, cleared his throat, and said, "I think you make a very cute couple."  
  
Hermione squealed with happiness and hugged Mr. Weasley. Charlie grabbed Harry and Ron into a hug, which was only fought off half-heartedly.  
  
Hermione let go of Mr. Weasley and fell into Charlie's arms.   
  
"They took it well. Finally, someone did!" Charlie cried.  
  
"So is that it? Is that everyone?" Hermione asked breathlessly.  
  
"Bill, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Ginny . . . everyone knows." Charlie sighed. "We're completely honest."  
  
Hermione squealed again, and Charlie gathered her into a huge bear hug, ending in a passionate kiss, as everyone else "Aw"-ed . . .   
  
"Wait!" George cried suddenly. "You forgot-"  
  
POOF.  
  
Mrs. Weasley appeared, holding a bag and looking very tired.  
  
"My goodness, you wouldn't believe the lines at Madame Malkins-"  
  
She stopped suddenly. Hermione and Charlie stared at her, frozen in horror. 


	18. Stark Raving Mad

Stark Raving Mad  
  
A/N: This chapter is one huge fight scene. Like Helms Deep in 'The Two Towers.' (Love that movie! L/A 4evah!) Anyway...  
  
  
  
  
"It is not right!" Mrs. Weasley thundered. "It is disgusting! You are seven years older than she! It is not right at all! This is completely absurd, and I forbid it to go on any longer! It will not work out, and I-"  
  
Charlie did something that was very brave, and also very foolish. Everyone in the Weasley household would remember it for the rest of their lives, as it was the first and only time any of them ever attempted it: Charlie talked back to his mother.  
  
"Oh, it's not right, is it?" He shouted, throwing her words back in her face. "It's wrong, and absurd, and it's not going to work, even though it has since before she graduated?"  
  
Mrs. Weasley went even more red, but her face remained like a stone. "Yes, it is!" She screamed. "And it was stupid of you to think it would in the first place-"  
  
"Almost as stupid as a Slytherin and a Gryffindor getting together, don't you think?" Charlie screamed back.  
  
In the silence that followed, even the clocks were afraid to move.   
  
"Bill, dear, why don't you take the children out somewhere while Charlie and I . . . discuss . . . some things." Mrs. Weasley said, in a voice so calm, it was deadly.  
  
"Why? This is just getting good." George muttered.  
  
Mrs. Weasley turned on him so quickly he jumped back looking terrified.  
  
"Because I don't want any witnesses when I kill Charlie!" She screeched. "Now get out!"  
  
Mr. Weasley and Hermione tried to follow the rest, but as they reached the door, Mrs. Weasley snapped, "Sit down!" before returning her gaze to Charlie.  
  
  
"Do you hear anything?" Ginny asked. Fred and George had their ears glued to the door since they'd been kicked out.  
  
"I could hear a lot more if you'd stop asking me questions." Fred snapped.   
  
Ginny huffed indignantly, then put her ear against the door. Soon, there were seven ears attached to it.  
  
"Something about completely different circumstances, and mum's raving about how she wasn't a Slytherin when she started dating dad."  
  
"Bull shit. Prof. Flitwick told Charlie she transferred because she was being too nice to dad."  
  
"Wait. I missed Charlie's rebuttal to that one. Now it's quiet. D'you think she killed them?"  
  
"Shut up, I hear foot-"  
  
Smack!  
  
Seconds later, the group was sprawled on the ground, clutching their ears. Mrs. Weasley was standing over them, glaring and smiling like a rabid dog. Every so often, the side of her mouth would twitch.  
  
"Guess what, everyone." She forced the words out, as though they caused her physical pain. Charlie had appeared beside her, grinning triumphantly. Hermione and Mr. Weasley walked out behind him, looking slightly shell-shocked.  
  
"Um . . . what, mum?" Bill asked, then cowered against the ground, as though he were afraid of getting hit, which, given the circumstances, wasn't totally unlikely.  
  
"Charlie and Hermione have been dating. Isn't that great?" Her voice was completely even.  
  
"Yes, mum."  
  
"Congratulations."  
  
"Cheers."  
  
"Can we go back inside now?" Ron asked.   
  
"Oh no, we're going out to celebrate." Her mouth twitched twice, then went still. "Charlie wants everyone to know."  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Omigosh, I just realized I only have one more chapter to go on this!?! WTF, when did i write all this? How did I ever come up with all this? Where have all the cowboys gone?  
  
But then again, i have like, half of a sequel written already. More on that later.  
  
Stupified,  
  
Dragonessa Smith 


	19. Men In Tights TIGHT TIGHTS!

Men in Tights (Tight Tights!)  
  
A/N: Ch. Title has nothing to do with this chapter, unless you want to imagine Draco doing ballet.   
  
  
Hermione couldn't remember a time when she'd been happier.   
  
She was with the man she loved, his family loved her, and her two new best friends, who were, at the moment, gibbering about lip gloss.  
  
She excused herself from the table, feeling as though her cheeks were going to crack if she didn't stop smiling soon.  
  
Luckily, the one guy who could make a smile disappear quicker than your average invisibility cloak was waiting in line for the men's room.  
  
"Well, Granger, fancy meeting you here." Draco looked down his nose at her, which was slightly hard, as they were pretty evenly matched for height. "So, you and that loser are finally out. Anyone taking bets on how long it is before he knocks you up and deserts you? I call one month."  
  
"I have a feeling he's going to knock you up before me." Hermione grinned cryptically.  
  
"What the fuck do you-"  
  
"Gee, Malfoy, nice to see you again. Been practicing your self defense spells? I have a feeling you'll need them pretty soon."  
  
Draco paled, goose bumps popping up all over his arms. He turned, Charlie standing behind him, arms crossed. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd rattled him, Draco pushed past him, heading towards the back exit.  
  
"Oh, Draco?"  
  
If a picture says a thousand words, a picture of his face at that moment would have had only three: What the fuck?  
  
"I believe this belongs to you." Charlie dug into his pocket, and held out a small cloak pin. "I've been meaning to give this back to you, but I got kind of distracted, what with you trying to kill the love of my life and all."  
  
Draco tried to save what was left of his composure. "You can't prove a damn thing, you little-"  
  
Charlie flipped over the pin. The light glinted off the diamonds spelling out 'DM' on the back.  
  
"Be glad I haven't sold this yet, I could have gotten a nifty hunk of change for just one of those diamonds alone."  
  
Draco grabbed it and stalked away as quickly as he could, before he felt any stupider.  
  
Hermione grinned. "Have I told you you're smart lately?"  
  
"No, but I could get used to it really quick. Come on, I have a feeling my mom's face is about to move for the first time in an hour sometime soon."  
  
"By the way..." Hermione slipped her hands into Charlie's. "What exactly did you say to your mother to get her to calm down?"  
  
Charlie grinned pleasantly. "I don't exactly remember, it was a whole two hours ago-"  
  
"Yes you do, you big fat liar. I have a feeling you'd've tape-recorded it if you had one handy. So come on, what'd you say?"  
  
Charlie shrugged nonchalantly. "I just reminded her that I could do a lot worse than the Hermione Granger. A lot worse."  
  
Hermione looked at him skeptically. "Charlie? What does that mean? Charlie?"  
  
Grinning, he leaned forward and kissed her gently. "I love you Mione."  
  
"I love you too Charlie. But you're going to drive me nuts."  
  
"I know."  
  
Giggling, they walked back to the table arm in arm, for once not caring who saw.  
  
  
  
A/N: My God, it's done. It's done. Started...a really long time ago, at three pages. Fifty-three pages and lots of late nights later, it's done.  
  
I'm gonna go snivel and stuff...  
  
But don't look too glum! I have an idea for a sequel! Would anyone want to read more about them? Or should I stop here?   
  
  
Confidential to all my Lord Of The Rings fans out there reading this:  
  
Do you know of a website or book that's like an Elvish dictionary? I found out one of my friend's names, Kela, means 'Go away' in Elvish (read it in a fanfic), but I want to know if it really does mean that. 


End file.
